CN106347207B

CN106347207B - Silent horn signaling with transmitter location

Info

Publication number: CN106347207B
Application number: CN201610765094.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: D·A·普帝亚桑达; P·V·纳拉亚那; S·卡迪卡拉; R·拉玛常德拉
Original assignee: Delphi Technologies Inc
Current assignee: Aptiv Technologies Ltd
Priority date: 2015-06-26
Filing date: 2016-06-27
Publication date: 2020-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 2036-06-27
Also published as: US9475461B1; CN106347207A; EP3109843A1

Abstract

A silent horn signal with a transmitter position is disclosed. A system (10) for the silent transmission of horn signals (12) between vehicles is provided, the system comprising: a sending vehicle (14) equipped with a horn button (18) operable by a horn operator (20); a transmitter (22) configured to transmit a horn signal (12) using electromagnetic energy in response to a horn operator (20) operating a horn button (18); and a first positioning device (24) configured to determine a sending location (26) of the sending vehicle (14). The transmitter (22) is configured to incorporate the transmission location (26) into the horn signal (12). The system (10) may also include a receiving vehicle (16) different from the sending vehicle (14). The receiving vehicle (16) is equipped with a receiver (30) configured to detect the horn signal (12), and a second positioning device (36) configured to determine a relative position (34) of the sending vehicle (14) with respect to the receiving vehicle (16) based on the horn signal (12).

Description

Silent horn signaling with transmitter location

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to a system for silently communicating a horn signal from one vehicle to another, and more particularly to a transmitter configured to transmit a horn signal that incorporates or incorporates a transmission location of a transmitting vehicle in the horn signal.

Background

It is known that the horn sound emitted by the vehicle horn by the vehicle operator undesirably increases noise pollution, especially in urban environments. Public educational movement launched in some countries attempts to reduce this noise pollution.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system for the silent transmission of horn signals between vehicles is provided. The system comprises: a sending vehicle equipped with a horn button operable by a horn operator; a transmitter configured to transmit a horn signal using electromagnetic energy in response to a horn operator operating a horn button; and a first positioning device configured to determine a transmission position of the transmitting vehicle. The transmitter is configured to incorporate the transmission location into the horn signal.

According to another embodiment, the system includes a receiving vehicle different from the sending vehicle. The receiving vehicle is equipped with a receiver configured to detect the horn signal, and a second locating device configured to determine a relative position of the sending vehicle with respect to the receiving vehicle based on the horn signal.

Further features and advantages will become clearer upon reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, given purely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the attached drawings.

Drawings

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle equipped with a system for silently transferring horn signaling between vehicles according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of the system of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a top cross-sectional view of a vehicle equipped with the system of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment; and

FIG. 4 is a traffic scene experienced by a vehicle equipped with the system of FIG. 1, according to one embodiment.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a non-limiting example of a system 10 for silently communicating a horn signal 12 between vehicles (such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc.). In this non-limiting example, the vehicles are a sending vehicle 14 that emits a horn signal 12, and a receiving vehicle 16 that receives or detects the horn signal 12. In order to enable the horn signal 12 to pass silently between vehicles, the horn signal is transmitted using electromagnetic energy, such as Infrared (IR) or Radio Frequency (RF) energy. That is, the horn signal 12 is characterized as being silent because humans cannot hear electromagnetic energy directly with the ear. In other words, the horn signal 12 is not acoustic in nature and therefore cannot be heard directly by a human without intervening means such as an RF receiver. By using electromagnetic energy to emit the horn signal 12, the problem of noise pollution caused by operating an acoustic horn on a vehicle is solved. The fundamental frequency of electromagnetic energy used to transmit the horn signal 12 may be selected based on the desired transmission distance and the impedance to expected object interference present between the sending vehicle 14 and the receiving vehicle 16.

The sending vehicle 14 is equipped with a horn button 18 operable by a horn operator 20 (i.e., the operator of the sending vehicle 14). The horn button 18 is shown as being located on the steering wheel of the car. However, other locations are possible, and the horn button 18 is preferably distinct from any device provided to operate a conventional acoustic horn (if the sending vehicle is so equipped). Although only the horn button 18 is shown for initiating the emission of the horn signal 12, it is contemplated that the sending vehicle 14 may also be equipped with an acoustic horn operated by a different switch or button, for example, to be able to alert a pedestrian of the approach of the sending vehicle 14.

The sending vehicle 14 is also equipped with a transmitter 22(TX), which transmitter 22 is configured to transmit the horn signal 12 using electromagnetic energy. That is, it has been noted above that the horn signal 12 is not the same as the audible horn sound emitted by a conventional horn. The transmitter 22 transmits the horn signal 12 in response to the horn operator 20 operating the horn button 18. The sending vehicle 14 is also equipped with a first positioning device 24, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) or other navigation device known to those skilled in the art. The first locating device 24 is configured to determine a sending location 26 of the sending vehicle 14. So that the sending location 26 of the sending vehicle 14 can be determined by the receiving vehicle 16, the transmitter 22 is configured to incorporate the sending location 26 into the horn signal 12, as will be described in detail below. As used herein, incorporating the transmission locations 26 into the horn signals 12 means that the information represented by the transmission locations 26 is modulated or mixed or otherwise embedded into the horn signals 12, a variety of techniques for doing so will be readily recognized by those skilled in the art.

A receiving vehicle 16, which is understood to be distinct or different from the sending vehicle 14, is equipped with a receiver 30 configured to detect the horn signal 12. The receiving vehicle 16 is advantageously configured to indicate a relative position 34 for an operator 32 of the receiving vehicle 16 so that the operator 32 can determine who is sending the horn signal 12. As used herein, the relative position 34 means the position of the sending vehicle 14 relative to the receiving vehicle 16. An advantage of knowing who or which vehicle sent the horn signal 12 is to help the operator 32 understand what the horn operator 20 attempted to deliver by sending the horn signal 12. For example, if the horn operator 20 intends to override the operator 32 (i.e., the sending vehicle 14 intends to override the receiving vehicle 16), the horn signal 12 is sent so that the operator 32 is not surprised when overridden. In another scenario, not shown, if the receiving vehicle intends to enter (i.e., turn to) the lane occupied or traveled by the sending vehicle, and the line of sight of the operator of the receiving vehicle is blocked by a building or plant, a horn signal may be sent to alert the operator that he/she should not continue to do so.

To determine the relative position 34, the receiving vehicle 16 may be equipped with a second locating device 36 configured to determine a receiving position 38. Based on the horn signal 12 containing the transmit location 26 and the receive location 38, the relative position 34 of the transmitting vehicle 14 with respect to the receiving vehicle 16 can be determined. Relative position 34 may include distance 40, and/or direction 42 and/or height difference. The relative position 34 may be communicated to the operator 32 by, but is not limited to, visual means and/or audible means, as will be described in greater detail below.

FIG. 2 shows further non-limiting details of the system 10. The receiving vehicle 16 may also be equipped with a controller 46 configured to receive signals from the receiver 30 and the second locating device 36. The controller 46 may include a processor (not shown) such as a microprocessor or other control circuitry (such as analog and/or data control circuitry), including an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), for processing data, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The controller 46 may include a memory (not shown) including a non-volatile memory, such as an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), for storing one or more routines, thresholds, and retrieved data. One or more routines executable by the processor perform steps for determining or evaluating signals received by the controller 46, such as for communicating information about the horn signal 12 to the operator 32 as described herein.

The receiving vehicle 16 may include a speaker arrangement 50 configured to emit sound 52 into a cabin 54 (fig. 1) of the receiving vehicle 16 in response to the receiver 30 detecting the horn information 12. Fig. 2 shows that the speaker arrangement 50 contains 4 speakers; however, vehicles with more or fewer speakers are contemplated. Furthermore, the speaker arrangement is not limited to employing only relatively high fidelity speakers that are also used by the entertainment system within the receiving vehicle 16 to play music. A speaker arrangement for a low fidelity sound emitter is contemplated that may economically provide more than 4 sound sources within the cab 54, thus more easily conveying, for example, the direction of the sending vehicle 14, as will be explained in detail below.

It is contemplated that sending vehicle 14 may also be equipped with some sort of speaker or sound emitter configured to emit sound into the cabin of sending vehicle 14 so that horn operator 20 is better informed that horn signal 12 is being sent. Equipping/configuring the sending vehicle 14 in this manner may help to avoid unnecessary or inadvertent activation of the horn button 18 by the horn operator 20, e.g., the horn operator merely holds the horn button 18 in an "activated" position. It is also contemplated that the transmitter 22 may have a timeout function such that if the horn button 18 is continuously activated for more than some preset time interval (e.g., 5 seconds), the transmitter 22 is caused to stop sending the horn signal 12.

FIG. 3 shows further non-limiting details regarding the receiving vehicle 16. In this example, the receiving vehicle 16 is equipped with a speaker arrangement 50 comprising 8 speakers. Some of which are larger and therefore better configured for producing audible sound at lower frequencies, and some of which are smaller and therefore better configured for producing audible sound at higher frequencies, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Although only four of the eight speakers are shown as emitting sound 52 indicative of the reception of the horn signal 12 by the receiver 30, this is not a limitation of the system. That is, more or fewer than 4 of the 8 speakers may be used to emit sound 52 to the operator 32.

In one embodiment of the system 10, the receiver 16, or more specifically the controller 46, may be configured such that the speaker arrangement 50 does not emit the sound 52 (fig. 2) when the distance 40 between the sending vehicle 14 and the receiving vehicle 16 is greater than the threshold distance 56. That is, if the sending vehicle 14 is far away, the fact that the sending vehicle 14 is emitting the horn signal 12 may not be relevant to the operation of the receiving vehicle 16, and thus the sound 52 need not be sent to the operator 32.

In another embodiment of the system 10, the sending vehicle 14 may be characterized by a vehicle classification 56 (fig. 2), such as, but not limited to, a motorcycle, car, pickup truck, fire truck, or emergency ambulance. The transmitter 22 may then be configured to incorporate the vehicle classification 56 into the horn signal 12 in a manner similar to that used to incorporate the transmit location 26 into the horn signal 12. The receiving vehicle 16 and/or the controller 46 may be configured such that the sound 52 output by the speaker arrangement 50 corresponds to a vehicle classification 56. For example, if the sending vehicle 14 is a motorcycle, the sound 52 may be a higher pitched beep (beep) sound, so that one is likely to think of a motorcycle, as opposed to a lower pitched horn sound, which makes one likely to think of a large truck. Alternatively, the horn signal 12 may comprise an audio waveform corresponding to the desired sound of the horn to be emitted by the speaker arrangement 50.

In another embodiment, the receiving vehicle 16 and/or the controller 46 may be configured such that the sound 52 indicates to the operator 32 the direction 42 from the receiving vehicle 16 to the sending vehicle 14. For example, if the sending vehicle 14 is to the left rear of the receiving vehicle 16, as shown by direction 42 in fig. 3, the level or volume of sound 52 from the left rear speaker in the speaker arrangement 50 may be louder than the sound 52 emitted by the other speakers, thereby indicating direction 42 to the operator 32. Other special effects may be associated with this distinct volume to further assist the operator 32 in determining the direction 42 based on the sound 52, such as changing the relative phase/delay and/or tonal equalization and/or echo applied to the sound 52 emitted by each speaker. These effects are known to those skilled in the art of surround sound entertainment. It is also contemplated that the speaker may be positioned above or below operator 32 such that the height difference may be communicated to operator 32.

FIG. 4 shows a non-limiting example of a traffic scenario in which the sending vehicle 14 and the receiving vehicle 16 may meet, where the direction 42 is also indicated. In another embodiment, the receiving vehicle 16 and/or the controller 46 may be configured such that the sound 52 (fig. 2 and 3) indicates to the operator 32 the distance 40 from the receiving vehicle 16 to the sending vehicle 14. For example, the sound 52 may be emitted by the speaker arrangement 50 in the following manner: when the vehicle emitting the horn signal 12 is located within the inner ring 58, a high volume sound is emitted; when the vehicle sending the horn signal 12 is located between the inner ring 58 and the outer ring 60, a soft volume sound is emitted; when the vehicle sending the horn signal 12 is outside the outer ring 60, no volume sound is emitted (i.e., no sound is emitted). In fig. 4, the sending vehicle is located between the inner ring 58 and the outer ring 60, so the sound 50 emitted by the speaker arrangement 50 will have a relatively soft volume. Alternatively, the volume of the sound 52 may vary continuously with respect to distance.

It is contemplated that the sound 52 may indicate both the distance 40 and the direction 42 from the receiving vehicle 16 to the sending vehicle 14 to the operator 32, where, for example, a combination of the total volume output by the speaker arrangement 50 indicates the distance 40 and a differential volume between different speakers indicates the distance 42.

Alternatively or in combination with the speaker arrangement 50, the receiving vehicle 16 may include a visual indicator 62 configured to visually indicate the relative position 34 to the operator 32 of the receiving vehicle 16. That is, the receiving vehicle 16 is configured such that the operator 32 can see the relative position 34 via the visual indicator 62 rather than hearing via the speaker arrangement 50. By way of example and not limitation, the visual indicator 62 may be a reconfigurable display 64A, such as commonly used in navigation devices or entertainment system displays of vehicles. The reconfigurable display 64A in this example shows the roads or lanes 68 that the receiving vehicle 16 and the sending vehicle 14 are traveling on. The relative position 34 may be further indicated by an arrow, as shown. The relative position 34 may be made more apparent to the operator 32 by an image or depiction that highlights the sending vehicle 14 in a contrasting color or as a highlight. By way of further example, the visual indicator 62 may be a more dedicated type of visual indicator, such as a display device 64B, for example, illuminating one of a plurality of arrows 66 to indicate the direction 42, with the illumination intensity indicating the distance 40 (closer or brighter), such that the relative position 34 is indicated by a combination of direction and distance. Thus, the visual indicator 62, reconfigurable display 64A and/or display device 64B can provide the direction 42 and/or distance 40 from the receiving vehicle 16 to the sending vehicle 14.

In another embodiment of the system 10, the sending vehicle 14 may be characterized by a direction of travel 70 of the sending vehicle 14. The transmitter 22 may be configured to incorporate the direction of travel 70 into the horn signal 12 along with the transmit position 26. The receiving vehicle 16 may then be configured such that the visual indicator 62 indicates the direction of travel 70 to the operator 32. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the arrows overlying the sending vehicle 14 are used to indicate the direction of travel 70. Similarly, the sending vehicle 14 may be characterized by a speed 72 of the sending vehicle 14, and the transmitter 22 may be configured to incorporate the speed 72 into the horn signal 12. The speed 72 may be indicated to the operator 32, for example, by an arrow length indicating the direction of travel 70, with longer arrows indicating higher speeds.

It is also contemplated that the area for receiving vehicle 16 displayed on reconfigurable display 64A may not include sending vehicle 14 because, for example, sending vehicle 14 is a long distance away or is traveling quickly toward receiving vehicle 16. It is contemplated that reconfigurable display 64A may zoom out or pan (pan) to include sending vehicle 14 on reconfigurable display 64A, if necessary.

As suggested above, the sending vehicle may be characterized by a direction of travel, and a transmitter within the sending vehicle may be configured to incorporate the direction of travel into the horn signal. If the direction of travel of the vehicle is opposite to the receiving vehicle 16, and the relative position 34 indicates that the sending vehicle is behind the receiving vehicle 16, the receiving vehicle 16 may be configured to ignore the horn signal 12. For example, as shown in the depiction on the reconfigurable display 64A in fig. 2, the second vehicle 74 is shown traveling in the opposite direction as the receiving vehicle 16. If the second vehicle 74 transmits a horn signal, the receiving vehicle 16 may safely ignore the horn signal because it may not be relevant to the travel path of the receiving vehicle. However, if the third vehicle 76 emits a horn signal, even if it is driven in the opposite direction to the receiving vehicle 16, the horn signal may be relevant to safe operation of the receiving vehicle 16 and therefore will not be ignored.

Alternatively, as suggested above, the sending vehicle may be characterized by a direction of travel, the transmitter within the sending vehicle may be configured to incorporate the direction of travel into the horn signal, and the receiving vehicle may be configured to ignore the horn signal in certain circumstances. Referring again to FIG. 4, the roadway upon which the receiving vehicle 16 travels may include roadway barriers 78 that separate traffic traveling in one direction from traffic traveling in the opposite direction. If the horn signal is emitted by any of the other vehicles 80 from retrograde traffic traveling in a direction opposite to the receiving vehicle 16, where the other vehicles 80 are separated or isolated from the receiving vehicle 16 by the road guardrails 78, the horn signal can be safely ignored by the receiving vehicle 16. That is, the receiving vehicle 16 may be configured to ignore the horn signal when the vehicle transmitting the horn signal is traveling in a direction opposite the receiving vehicle 16 and there is a road guardrail between the sending vehicle and the receiving vehicle 16.

Accordingly, a system 10 for silently communicating horn signals 12 between vehicles is provided. The horn signal 12 is transmitted using electromagnetic energy so that the horn signal 12 does not undesirably produce noise pollution. Information such as the transmission location 26 from which the horn signal 12 was transmitted may be incorporated into the horn signal 12 so that the operator 32 of the receiving vehicle 16 may determine the source of the horn signal.

While the present invention has been described in terms of its preferred embodiments, it is not intended to be limited, but rather only to the extent set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A system (10) for silently communicating horn signals (12) between vehicles, the system (10) comprising:

a sending vehicle (14) equipped with a horn button (18) operable by a horn operator (20); a transmitter (22) configured to transmit a horn signal (12) using electromagnetic energy in response to the horn operator (20) operating the horn button (18); and a first locating device (24) configured to determine a sending location (26) of the sending vehicle (14), wherein the transmitter (22) is configured to incorporate the sending location (26) into the horn signal (12),

wherein the system (10) comprises a receiving vehicle (16) different from the sending vehicle (14), the receiving vehicle (16) being equipped with: a receiver (30), the receiver (30) being configured to detect the horn signal (12); -determining a relative position (34) of the sending vehicle (14) with respect to the receiving vehicle (16) based on the horn signal (12) with a second locating device (36), the second locating device (36) being configured to;

wherein the receiving vehicle (16) includes a speaker arrangement (50) configured to emit a sound (52) into a cabin (54) of the receiving vehicle (16) in response to the receiver (30) detecting the horn signal (12);

wherein the sending vehicle (14) is characterized by a vehicle classification (56), the transmitter (22) is configured to incorporate the vehicle classification (56) into the horn signal (12), and the receiving vehicle (16) is configured such that sound (52) output by the speaker arrangement (50) corresponds to the vehicle classification (56).

2. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy is one of Infrared (IR) energy and Radio Frequency (RF) energy.

3. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the receiving vehicle (16) is configured such that: the speaker arrangement (50) does not emit a sound (52) when the sending vehicle (14) is a distance (40) greater than a threshold distance from the receiving vehicle (16).

4. The system (10) of claim 1, wherein the vehicle classifications (56) include motorcycles, small trucks, large trucks, fire trucks, and emergency vehicles.

5. The system (10) of claim 1 wherein the sound (52) indicates to an operator (32) a direction (42) from the receiving vehicle (16) to the sending vehicle (14).

6. The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sound (52) indicates to an operator (32) a distance (40) from the receiving vehicle (16) to the sending vehicle (14).

7. The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sound (52) indicates to an operator (32) a distance (40) and a direction (42) from the receiving vehicle (16) to the sending vehicle (14).

8. The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the receiving vehicle (16) includes a visual indicator (62) configured to indicate the relative position (34) to an operator of the receiving vehicle (16).

9. The system (10) of claim 8, wherein the visual indicator (62) indicates a direction (42) from the receiving vehicle (16) to the sending vehicle (14).

10. The system (10) of claim 8, wherein the visual indicator (62) indicates a distance (40) from the receiving vehicle (16) to the sending vehicle (14).

11. The system (10) of claim 8, wherein the visual indicator (62) indicates a distance (40) and a direction (42) from the receiving vehicle (16) to the sending vehicle (14).

12. The system (10) in accordance with claim 8, wherein the sending vehicle (14) is characterized by a direction of travel (70), the transmitter (22) is configured to incorporate the direction of travel (70) into the horn signal (12), and the receiving vehicle (16) is configured such that the visual indicator (62) indicates the direction of travel (70).

13. The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sending vehicle (14) is characterized by a direction of travel (70), the transmitter (22) is configured to incorporate the direction of travel (70) into the horn signal (12), and the receiving vehicle (16) is configured to: ignoring the horn signal (12) when the direction of travel (70) is opposite to a direction of travel of the receiving vehicle (16) and the relative position (34) indicates that the sending vehicle (14) is located behind the receiving vehicle (16).

14. The system (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sending vehicle (14) is characterized by a direction of travel (70), the transmitter (22) is configured to incorporate the direction of travel (70) into the horn signal (12), and the receiving vehicle (16) is configured to: ignoring the horn signal (12) when the direction of travel (70) is opposite to a direction of travel of a receiving vehicle (16) and there is a road guardrail (78) between the sending vehicle (14) and the receiving vehicle (16).